Straw discharger and shredder.



No. 670,860. Patented Mar. 26, l90l.

M. A. FLAUTT. STRAW DISCHABGEB AND SHREDDER.

(Application filed May 3. 1900.v (N 0 M 0 d e I 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

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No. 670,860; Pgtented Mai. 26, I90].

MfA. FLAUTT.

STRAW DISGHARGER AND SHREDDER.

' (Application filed May 3, 1900A (No Model.) 3 SheefsSheet 2.

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Nrrnn STATES MELVIN A. FLAUTT, OF WAYNESBORO, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE GEISER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

STRAW DISCHARGER AND SHR EDDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 670,860, dated March 26, 1901.

Application filed May 3, 1900- Ssrial lilo-15,392. (No model.)

T0 on whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, MELVIN A. FLAUTT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Waynesboro, in the county of Franklin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Straw Dischargers and Shredders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to straw dischargers and shredders for use in connection with threshing-machines; and it consists in the novel construction and combination of the parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, whereby the straw is brought into a condition in which it can be used for fodder and other useful purposes as it leaves the threshing-machine.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a discharger and shredder. Fig. 2 is a side view of the discharger, showing the shredder-teeth. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section showing a modification in the discharger-casing. Fig. 4 is a side view of one-half of the casing, showing the spiral ribs and the shredder-teeth. Fig. 5 is a cross-section taken on the line m m in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section showing a double discharger and shredder. Figs. 7 and 8 are longitudinal sections showing further modifications of the discharger and shredder.

A is a portion of a straw-chamber at the rear end of a threshing-machine.

B is the discharger and shredder casing, which is connected to the straw-chamber by an inlet-opening a.

C is a. centrifugal discharger, which is mounted on a shaft 0 and which revolves inside the casing.

The general construction and operation of these parts are similar to those described in the patent to A. E. Price for a pneumatic straw-stacker, No. 614,979, dated November 29, 1898. The straw is received in a closed chamber A at the rear end of the threshing-machine and is conducted into the discharger-casing and thence ejected by the centrif u gal discharger, substantially as described in the said patent. It, however, is not necessary to place the discharger upon one side of the straw-chamber, as it may be placed in any other convenient position, and the straw may be fed into the discharger-casing in any approved manner.

It has heretofore been the practice to discharge the straw, by means of a centrifugal discharger, up certain pipes or ducts for the purpose of stacking it. In some places, however, the straw has a marketable value when shredded and bruised, and in such cases it is desirable to operate on the straw as it leaves the threshing-machine and pack the fodder or shredded straw into bags instead of stacking it.

In carrying out the present invention the plate or disk 0 of the discharger is extended considerably beyond the tips of the arms 0, which arms are of any approved form and construction and are secured on the front side of the disk.

D is an annular plate, provided with a conical guide portion ol for the straw. The plate D is secured to the disk 0, and d is the wooden packing between the plate and disk.

E represents shredder-teeth, which project from the plate D. These teeth are of anyapproved form,and they are preferably arranged in concentric circles.

The term teeth is herein used to apply to all kinds of projections, serrations, or corrugations which can be used for bruising and shredding the straw.

The plate D projects over the arms of the discharger.

The part of the discharger-casing which comes next to the straw-chamber is provided with a conical guide portion 6 for the straw, arranged opposite the guide portion d, and it has an annular portion or plate F, which is arranged opposite the annular plate D. The plate F is provided with shredder-teeth E, the same as the plate D, and the teeth of one plate are preferably arranged between the teeth of the other plate. The conical guide portion 6 is provided with spirally-arranged ribs 6, which assist in moving the straw toward the discharger-disk. The guide portions d and 6 together form an annular converging entrance to the shredder. The straw is driven by centrifugal force between the shredder-teeth as the discharger is rapidly revolved and is bruised and shredded by the said teeth, so that it can be utilized for fodder and for other purposes.

The rear side of the discharger-casing is provided with arms G, which project beyond the periphery of the disk 0, and g is a cover plate or disk secured to the said arms and provided with a circular guard-flange h, which projects into close proximity with the periphery of the said disk and prevents rubbish from getting between the disk and the plate g. The arms G are preferably provided with diverging and rearwardly-inclined ribs g, as shown in Fig. 5, to prevent the shredded straw from catching on them.

H is the straw-space inside the periphery of the discharger-casin g, into which the straw is driven after passing between the shredderteeth, and it represents lateral passages for the straw between the arms G and between the periphery of the plate g and the dischargercasing.

I is a funnel secured to the periphery of the discharger-casing over the passages h. The shredded straw is collected by the funnel and is discharged through its outlet-opening 1}. The shredded straw is packed in any convenient way after it is discharged from the funnel.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3 the straw-space H is formed with a graduallyincreasing area and the casing is provided with an outlet-opening '11 at one point of its periphery, through which the shredded straw is discharged horizontally and toward the rear of the threshing-machine. Pockets j are formed on the discharger-casing to receive the ends of cross-pieces j". chamber A is preferably provided with a wall of sheet metal at the rear of the threshingmachine, which Wall is supported by these cross-pieces; but the straw-chamber may be built in any other approved manner.

In the modification shown in Fig. 6 the discharger and shredder are placedin the middle part of the straw-chamber, and the discharging and shredding devices are furnished in duplicate, the dischargers being arranged back to back within the discharger-casing B, which is furnished with an inlet opening or mouth on each side of it. The casing B has a single outlet common to both shredders; but this outlet is otherwise similar to that shown in Figs. 3 and at.

In the modification shown in Fig. 7 the discharger is mounted on the shaft 0, as hereinbefore described, and is revolved by a pulley on one end of the said shaft. The annular plate D, which carries the shredder-teeth, is arranged beyond the tips of the dischargerarms; but it is carried by arms 3 independent of the discharger-disk instead of being connected with the said disk. The arms 3 are mounted on a sleeve 4, which encircles the shaft 0, and is journaled in the bearing 5, carried by the discharger-casing. A separate The straw-- pulley 6 is secured on the projecting end of the sleeve 4, so that the shredder-plate can be revolved at a different speed from the discharger.

In the modification shown in Fig. 8 the disk of the discharger is extended beyond the toothed shredder plate or ring and is provided with discharger-arms 0 between the toothed shredder-plate and its periphery. These arms discharge the fodder from the shredder, together with a current of air, which draws the straw through the inlet a into the shredder. If desired, discharger-arms can be applied both inside and outside the toothed shredder plate or ring. The discharging mechanism, arranged as shown in Fig. 8, can also be driven at a different speed from the shredding mechanism by following the construction shown in Fig. 7.

What I claim is 1. The combination, with a casing, of revoluble straw-propelling arms arranged in the said casing, a revoluble disk also arranged in the said casing, a conical guide and an annular plate carried by the said disk and overhanging the tips of the said arms in the path of the straw driven off by them, means for supporting the said annular plate in its offset position, and opposed shredder-teeth carried by the said annular plate and easing, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a casing provided with an inlet, of a shredder-plate arranged in the said casing, opposed shredder-teeth carried by the said plate and easing, straw-propelling arms arranged in the said casing between the said inlet and the shredder-teeth, and means for revolving the said shredderplate and the said arms, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with opposed annular plates provided with laterally projecting shredder-teeth, and driving devices for revolving one of the said plates; of revoluble straw-propelling arms arranged within the said annular plates and causing the straw to pass outwardly between the said plates, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with a casing provided with an inlet for straw at its center and outlets at its periphery, and a revoluble plate arranged in the said casing of opposed shredding-teeth supported by the said casing and plate between the said inlet and outlets, and a funnel secured over the said outlets, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with a casing provided with a plate on one side thereof and arms which project beyond the said plate and having inclined surfaces which shed the straw on their projecting portions, lateral outlets being formed around the said plate between the projecting portions of the said arms; of a revoluble plate inclosed in the said casing, and opposed shredder-teeth carried by the said revoluble plate and the said casing, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with a casing provided with an inlet, a conical guide portion around its inlet, and spirally-arranged ribs on the said guide portion; of a centrifugal discharger arranged in the said casing, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination, with a casing, of a revoluble plate arranged in the casing, said plate and easing being provided with conical c011- verging guides, revoluble straw-propelling arms arranged on the inlet side of the said guides, and opposed shredder-teeth carried by the said plate and easing beyond the said converging guides, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination, with a casing, of a centrifugal discharger and a shredder arranged in the said casing, opposed shredder-teeth carried by the said casing and shredder, and separate driving devices for revolving the discharger and the shredder, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

MELVIN A. FLAUTT.

Witnesses:

D. O. SHEELEY, JOHN WOOLRIDGE. 

